Talking with Lindsay Laubenstein could
drive you to drink — in a good way. Her enthusiasm for cocktail culture
is contagious. Laubenstein, vice president of the Southern Ohio
Bartenders’ Guild and currently behind the bar at Igby’s, recently developed the cocktail menu at Barrio
Tequileria, and previously tended bar at Enoteca Emilia.

Nothing screams artisan or handcrafted
food like a flannel-shirted, tattooed server. Remove the pageantry from
the building, please, and just give us the weird cuts of beef or spruced
up hot dog served alongside a Prohibition-era cocktail.

O’Bryonville restaurant transports diners to Northern Italy

I was
truly excited to try Enoteca Emilia. After all, I used to live in
Bologna, which is the capital city of the Emilia Romagna region of
Italy, and I have always lamented the lack of Northern Italian
restaurants in our area. Enoteca Emilia’s concept was enticing in that
the owners were going to focus on small plates to encourage sharing, and
feature cured meats and cheeses with sophisticated snacks, pizza,
salads and pasta.